The Columbia Association (CA) has received approval for the waiver that will allow dredging activities to occur during the mandatory closure period for work impacting Use I waters as determined by Maryland Department of the Environment.
This waiver allows the contractor, JND Thomas Company, Inc., to begin dredging work this spring, ahead of the previously scheduled start date of August 2012.
The start of construction for work associated with the staging area is scheduled to begin mid- to late March, and active dredging and material dewatering is scheduled to occur from April to June.
The work is not expected to disrupt the usual use of the walking/biking paths, the boat dock or activities at the Wilde Lake Barn; and the work will be completed in time for the popular CA Nature Camp program to operate there this summer.
The scheduled work includes two main components: the construction of a staging area using the park area below the dam, an area accessed from the corner of West Running Brook Road and Hyla Brook Road; and the hydraulic dredging of approximately 15,000 cubic yards of accumulated sediment from the lake.
At the staging area the hydraulically dredged material will be dewatered and hauled by truck to off-site licensed locations for beneficial reuse.
The $1.85 million contract for the Wilde Lake maintenance dredging project was awarded to JND Thomas Company, Inc., of Riverdale, Calif., in February 2012, following the re-release of an earlier request for proposal (RFP). The contract with the company initially hired for the project was terminated last summer because of non-performance.
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Dredging Today Staff, March 21, 2012; Image: jndthomas